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The University of KwaZulu-Natal cancels a lecture by Israeli diplomat
Israeli envoy lecture cancelled
Durban – A lecture by an Israeli diplomat at the University of
KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) was cancelled on Monday, less than 24-hours
before he was to speak.
In a short statement, the university said it regretted the cancellation.
It said the decision to cancel deputy ambassador Yaakov Finkelstein’s
lecture had been difficult.
“The university is committed to a non-racial and democratic society
where debate, dialogue and divergent viewpoints are encouraged.
“However, in view of the sensitivities of the visit and in the best
interest of all parties concerned the decision was taken to cancel
this lecture,” it said
Invitations to the lecture were sent out on May 16.
Negative publicity
According to a news statement issued by the anti-Israeli group
Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) in SA, the lecture was
cancelled on Sunday afternoon.
The university’s deputy vice chancellor Joseph Ayee sent a short
e-mail to staff informing them of the cancellation.
In it, he wrote: “I have re-considered the sensitivities that the
visit of the Israeli deputy ambassador have generated.
“Given the negative publicity that the visit will give UKZN, I hereby
cancel the visit and the lecture by the Israeli deputy ambassador
scheduled for tomorrow, Monday 21 May 2012.
Academic boycott
“UKZN is bigger than all of us. I believe that for an event to be held
under a cloud with likely reputational damage for the institution is
not in the interest of all of us.”
BDS spokesperson Muhammed Desai said in a statement that Ayee’s
announcement came at the request of students and staff, as hosting
Finkelstein would have violated the “academic boycott” of Israel.
Israeli embassy spokesperson Hila Stern said the lecture was a regular
occurrence that had been cancelled in co-operation with the
university.
She said a pro-Palestinian campaign of “intimidation and threats” had
reached a level where “there was a genuine threat to the diplomat’s
well-being”.
Intellectual terror
She said it was a concern that a country which had fought hard for
freedom of speech would allow a minority to shut it down.
“Anti-Israeli elements have embarked on a campaign of intellectual
terror which rejects everything that academia believes in, meaning
dialogue, discussions, research, understanding and freedom of speech,”
she said.
“The use of bullying to silence freedom of expression in an academic
setting is a very sad development. As the saying goes, ‘There’s none
so deaf as those who will not hear’.”
The university said it hoped to host the diplomat in the near future
in “a collegial environment”.
2012-05-21
